European Parliament to impose new sanctions against Russia tomorrow

New sanctions against Russia will be the central topic of the European Parliament meeting to be held tomorrow, January 15.

New sanctions against Russia may refer to the nuclear sector and international financial transactions.

The European Parliament has agreed on a draft resolution on Ukraine, which will be put to the vote on Thursday, January 15, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, the member of the European People’s Party said.

“In case of any Russia’s actions to destabilize Ukraine the European Parliament invites the European Council to take further restrictive measures and expand their scope, covering the nuclear sector and limiting the ability of Russian companies to conduct international financial transactions,” the document says.

In this case, the document notes that the new sanctions against Russia should be a part of a wider EU approach towards Russia.

“Maintenance, reinforcement or reversibility of the EU’s restrictive measures depends on Russia’s own attitude and on the situation in Ukraine,” the document says.

The European Parliament also calls on the EU to maintain restrictive measures against Russian separatists and individuals responsible for destabilizing the situation in the Donbas, in particular, at the forthcoming meeting of the European Council in March 2015, until “Russia begins to fully respect and implement its Minsk obligations … and changes its policy in Ukraine,” the draft resolution states.

So, it is referred to “complete and unconditional withdrawal of all Russian forces, illegal armed groups, military equipment, fighters and mercenaries from Ukraine, continuous monitoring of the Ukrainian-Russian border by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission and the exchange of all prisoners including Nadiya Savchenko.”

Also the European Parliament demands faster and more substantial technical assistance to Ukraine from the European Commission, and initiates sending consultants and experts from the EU institutions to Ukraine.